Hardcover: 500 pages
Publisher: Villard (Aug 12 1988)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0394571770
ISBN-13: 978-0394571775
Above an exclusive men's store on Rodeo Drive there is a private club called Butterfly, where women are free to act out their secret erotic fantasies. Only the most beautiful and powerful women in Beverly Hills are invited to join ...
Jessica--The lawyer, who longs for the days when men were men, and women dressed to please them
Trudie--The builder, who wants a man who will challenge her-all of her-with no holds barred
Linda--The surgeon, who uses masks to unmask the desires she hides even from herself
But the most mysterious of them all is the woman who created Butterfly. She has changed her name, her accent, even her face to hide her true identity. And now she is about to reveal everything to realize the dream that has driven her since childhood--the secret obsession that will carry her beyond ecstasy, or destroy her and everyone around her!
Paperback: 364 pages
Publisher: iUniverse Star (June 26, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1583487638
ISBN-13: 978-1583487631
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From Publishers Weekly:"The pseudonymous Harvey's vivid, imaginative tale of a unique Beverly Hills brothel called Butterfly focuses on its wealthy founder, and three of her troubled female patrons.
Discreetly located above an elegant men's clothing store, the brothel features costumed male "companions"a masked burglar, a Confederate soldier, a Versailles courtier, a cowboy capable of fulfilling any woman's needs and fantasies.
Lawyer Jessica Franklin goes there for relief from her cold, intimidating husband; Dr. Linda Markus tries to cure her frigidity; Trudie Stein wants affirmation of her femininity.
Behind the scenes is Butterfly's owner, Beverly Highland, whose harrowing life story is interspersed with the current action of the tale . Having run away from home in New Mexico at age 14 after being abused by her alcoholic father, Beverly succumbed to the rough-hewn charm of Danny Mackay, who put her to work in a squalid brothel and forced her to abort their baby. Vowing revenge, plain Beverly attains beauty through plastic surgery, becomes an affluent California entrepreneur and cunningly plots against Mackay, now an influential TV evangelist and presidential candidate. Glamour, wickedness and passion spark this highly commercial novel, which builds to a dramatic and unexpected conclusion. "
I read "Butterfly", by Kathryn Harvey in approximately 1990 -1991 I remember the year because of my kid's ages and it is one of those story's that has stayed with me. I'm not going to write a long review because the synopses above offer a glimpse of what the book is about.
However, I will say that this is a story about a woman's ascension from the depths poverty, and her recovery following horrible physical and emotional abuse at a young age at the hands of a loathsome, violent man. Using her bright mind, Beverley Highland works hard and digs herself out of the worst of circumstances. She builds a business empire from nothing rising to become one of the wealthiest and influential women in the United States.
Which brings me to "Butterfly", an exclusive brothel for women where 'patrons' can live out their sexual fantasies. "Butterfly", is Beverley's creation and she knows that for some of the women who visit it is for more than sex.
Linda, a surgeon, was my favorite. She is brilliant, beautiful, and successful, however her personal life is a train wreck. She has been married twice and because of a childhood accident resulting in what she considers to be a horrible "disfigurement", she is incapable of completely giving herself to a man. Linda's liasons at "Butterfly", with her fantasy lover who dresses like a man from the past is the key to her healing.
"Butterfly" is an erotic contemporary romance that incorporates role playing in the sensual scenes. IMHO it is a wonderful story of not just one but four women who attain happiness.
The reason I wanted to share my thoughts about this particular novel is because after reading Ms. Moonlight's
impassioned post concerning critics of romance readers who consider the genre "trash", I started to think about all the novels I've read over the years that prove her point that we who read the genre are as sophisticated as folks who choose to read other forms of literature.
"Butterfly", stands out for me because, it is a multi-layered story, it is unique, it is an erotic novel that was first published 20 years ago, and it has stood the test of time. I've learned so much over the years from reading romance. Yes, it allows me to immerse myself in a "fantasy", for a while, however, I have also broadened my knowledge base through reading this genre.
I visited Amazon.com today while researching "Butterfly" and was delighted to find it has stood the test of time. "Butterfly", was re-released under a new publisher in 2007 and there are 91 reader ratings, it has 5 stars. My copy is the first you see pictured above.
Any romance novels that stand out in your mind that have stood the test of time?
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